How to Find Credible Sources on the Internet

“You are not an authority on any topic. You are nothing more than a teenager. Even though you may think so, you do not write well enough to persuade me with your own opinion – that’s for professionals. Your opinion holds no weight with me unless you can prove it through research — then I might listen.”– A grumpy Mr. Carabello

Who’s In Charge? Determine Authority

Determining the authority of any particular site is especially vital if you’re planning on using it as a source for an academic paper or research project.

Is it absolutely clear which company or organization is responsible for the information on the site?
Is there a link to a page describing what the company or organization does and the people who are involved (an “About Us” page)?
Is there a valid way of making sure the company or organization is legit – meaning, is this a real place that has real contact information (email only is not enough)?

Are You Telling Me The Truth? Determine Validity and Credibility

In addition to determining the authority of a site, you also need to figure out if it’s presenting accurate information.

Can I easily figure out who wrote the information?
Are all factual claims clearly substantiated, that is, are there cited (linked) sources?
Are there any glaring grammatical and spelling errors? This could indicate that the content is not credible.
How long ago was the page updated? Is there a date stamp on the article somewhere? You’ll need this especially if you’re using MLA-style citation.
Can you verify the expertise of the author? Are the writer’s qualifications clearly stated somewhere on the site?

Are You Selling Me Something? Determine Motivation (bias)
In order to find a non-biased information source, you’ll need to determine neutrality.

Is there an overwhelming bias in the information? Does the writing seem fair and balanced? Or is the writing overly slanted towards a particular point of view?
Is the URL appropriate to the content? You should be able to figure out from the site address who the site belongs to, since most organizations and businesses put their name in the URL. This is a good way to determine quickly if the site is legit for your purposes; for example, if you’re researching mad cow disease you probably don’t want to get information from the Beef Farmers of America.
Are the ads clearly separated from the content?

Evaluating Sources on the Web – Use Common Sense

Use common sense when considering a Web site for inclusion in your research project or academic paper. Just because something made its way on to the Web absolutely does not mean that it’s credible, reliable, or even true.